A Backpack Full Of Buildings

This prompt made me realize that my entire office can fit inside my mini backpack, except for my other big screen monitor. Just my sketch pad, pencil, biro, laptop, phone, headphones, and chargers.

Most times if I have work to do and you see me at my corner with my headphones on, someone might think that I am just listening to music or browsing. But at that moment, I could be listening to clients discussions over again, listening to things that will aid my designs, which means my whole workday has started already quietly.

If I have work I have to get done, designs most especially, my phone as my tool is what I usually open first every morning after my quiet time. Before I respond to any messages, get on my sketchpad or system, give any client a response, or prepare to visit a site if need be. Sometimes, I have clients changing the brief of their designs after work is almost done, and without my phone, most of those conversations will not be made available.

There, there is my laptop. Not the usual laptop or office laptop, though. It is a machine that usually brings to life most of my thinking from my sketchpad. Anytime I open my laptop to work, all the architectural software on it gradually becomes a building over time. All the rough lines on my sketchbook become straight walls on it. The rough measurements become accurate and shape into what I have on my brief, either a residential design, commercial, industrial, or interior design.

Sometimes, I am still amazed by the type of extraordinary technology and innovation behind that.
But anyways, I will not lie, all those tools I usually use come with their own wahala because sometimes my power bank might have no battery on it, phone and laptop are dead, and there is no power supply, talkless of fuel in the gen. A lot of deadlines and frustrations, not to talk about some software that might stop working or crash like they have an evil spirit whispering to them, “Frustrate him; let him sweat.”

I could remember some time ago, I had a deadline for work, and I had been working on it like my life depended on it. Just a day to the deadline, the battery of the system had a fault without warning. I had to be using direct light and be saving my work every now and then...it was so frustrating and messy at the same time for me. What happened that day taught me something important: that I should always save my work because my tools can suddenly break down and I should always be ready for the worst even though things are going smoothly.

Even as small as my sketchbook looks, it goes a long way in my design because from it, that is where a lot of inspirations are put down before I perfect it on the software. Without these tools, work will still exist, but we are no longer in that age where I have to stay on the table while drawing with my instruments. Though some people still do it, it takes time, is slow, and can cause backaches sometimes.

And like I said at the beginning of this post, when I put those tools inside my bag when ever I want to get some printout done, I imagine that I am moving around with my workstation where from my head, to my phone and to my system, a lot of ideas have turned into buildings where people stay in and are safe in today.

Thank you for reading.

_{Image1 is AI. Image2 is mine}